Proverbs 13

(As the Holy Spirit ministers to me while reading it)

Listen to your Father and obey what you have been told because this is where wisdom comes from. Sometimes what you hear will not be words to make you “feel good” but instead it will be something that you need to be corrected on. Take those words in as well and truly evaluate yourself with them. And by all means do not complain and grumble about them. What you say is so important and sometimes you need to just shut up and listen. Every word that comes from your mouth will either bring life or death into the situation so if you are smart you will chose your words carefully. Don’t be like the hot headed ones that spew out their emotions at the drop of a hat while wearing their emotions on their sleeve. This type of attitude and behavior will get you nowhere in life, in fact, it will set you further back than anything else.

Don’t be like the lazy couch potatoes that sit around with these dreams of “what could have been” and yet take no incentive to make them happen. Instead get up, and get moving! Each day take another step towards that dream even if it is to cover it in prayer and be sure to keep that dream in front of your face constantly so it does not die!

Let’s separate ourselves from those who devise evil. We stand for integrity and truth and will not tolerate the lying and deceit that comes from them. We will take a stand for our brothers and sisters and protect them at a moment’s notice while those who devise evil will try to take them out for their own gain. We don’t try to trumpet out who great we are to others because we walk in humility while they will boast of their self proclaimed greatness out of their pride. We realize the value of our life and will take God’s word and correction to heart to make sure that we are walking right while those who devise evil will shut their ears off from it. Because of the righteousness, honor, integrity and humility that we walk in we have a life that is going to prosper and endure while the scoffers will live in poverty and death. We stand for and adhere to God’s wisdom but they are too proud to allow that wisdom to have any place in their life so they will do all they can to “stir the pot” and poison it. Sure it may seem that they have won in some circumstances and it even may appear that they are becoming wealthy from it but believe me the time will soon come where the “bad seed” will catch up to them and the harvest on the “good seed” that we have sown will soon come and that harvest will stand the test of time.

Let’s go back the dreams and visions that we talked about earlier. Don’t you realize how important it is to have them? If you lose sight of them you will lose purpose and that leads to life filled with sickness and hopelessness. So re-ignite that vision, that dream, and get focused to fulfill it because that is when your life is going to abound to levels you never even thought imaginable!

When God speaks respect and revere it like your life depends on it, because it does. When you do this you will be rewarded with the fulfillment of your dreams and visions. If you resent the fact that God cares enough to try to get you on track it will bring a self-inflicted destruction. Those Words are there to bring you life to you and make sure that you don’t get snagged by the traps that this world will try to get you caught in. To rebel against that Word will almost guarantee that you will be snagged by one of those traps. When you truly take on God’s word and meditate on it so that you get that revelation and understanding you will find out how much easier life can be. Things will come to you that you thought were impossible. If you are obedient and act on the Word you will actually find that it works! In like manner if you turn from that word you will find that life will be painful and you will have to resort to being a slave so that you can “get by”. Your actions will bring no result and your life will be cut short. Sure you may resort to sending out “bad reports” and gossip to gain favor but you will find that your words will actually work against you and kill you. So be like the faithful bunch and speak God’s word only and bring life into every situation.

So don’t resent these words because that kind of attitude will destroy you and make you look like an idiot for all to see. Instead embrace these words and see how much God will honor and promote because He can trust you! Stay clear from the ways of the evil one and go after what God has told you because He will see to it that it will come to pass and the satisfaction that you get from that will far surpass anything this world can give you!

Be mindful of your fellowship. Are you hanging out with people that are walking right or with people that mock God? Are you doing your best to live a holy and pure life or are you hanging out in the bars and getting drunk with the rest of the worldly bunch? I don’t have to remind you which brings you life and which brings you death.

What I am getting at is stewardship. Are you being faithful with what God has given you or are you throwing it out and wasting it so you can look cool. This “keeping up with the Jones’s” mentality will not only make an impact on you but on your children and their children. So live right and be good stewards over what God has given you. When it comes to finances, invest and see the return for the future. Don’t simply look at your retirement but look at your children’s future to make sure that their needs are met and they can do the same and add to it for their children. Imagine how much more they can do to impact this world if you simply take the initiative and make this permanent change to your family tree. Beyond finances be sure to instruct your children in the ways of God and if they get off be quick to correct them. Yes this may mean you have to get out the wooden spoon and spank their behinds. I am not talking about abusing or beating them to a pulp. Always follow the correction with love to let them know that you are simply looking out for their well being.

Bottom line you follow God’s words and be good stewards you will live a long, prosperous and peaceful life that will be past down to your descendants. If you don’t follow God’s words and be good stewards you will live the life of a slave that will never experience satisfaction.